IPNI Global Maize Centers are located in 14 major maize production regions of the world. Scientists associated with each of these Centers form a virtual network of researchers studying all aspects of maize production. Each Center Team is defining the common management system for their respective region, then they will determine the potential yield for that region, and thus define the respective “yield gap”. With that information, they will work to determine what practices and inputs need to be modified to attempt to narrow that yield and move producers toward attaining their potential production levels.

For some of the Global Maize Centers, long-term management systems will be put in place to demonstrate the current farmer practice (CFP) management system and the Ecological Intensification (EI) management system for that site. These demonstrations, set up in replicated design, will be monitored over several years to track differences in agronomic responses, economics, and environmental impacts. This will enable us to track the management systems over time. As technologies change, both the CFP and EI systems will be modified to maintain the relative comparison.